


Close Call

by ML_Fox



Category: Original Work
Genre: Death, Gen, Grim Reaper - Freeform, Letters, Monologue, Voicemail, cheating death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-12 19:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5677090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ML_Fox/pseuds/ML_Fox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You humans believe in second chances and miracles for a reason, right? This is one of them." </p><p>An experiment in writing starring good guy Death, a poor lost soul, an apathetic voice mail warning, and a letter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close Call

**Author's Note:**

> Look at me posting some original content! Well, semi-original. This was a piece from a long time ago. I've edited it and thought that I'd post it up here because I had loads of fun writing it. I've also written my creative process for this piece over in [my blog](http://myuntoldstory.tumblr.com/post/137482945285/experimenting-with-form-and-structure-long). I do hope you enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated.

_H-hello! U-uhm, you’ve reached Riley. If you could just, er, l-leave a message and your details I’ll, uhm, get b-back to you as soon as I can. Thank—beep!_

_Oh._ Oh, Jesus. You know, as I was dialling your number I was _actually praying_ that what I heard about you was wrong. But then I heard your voice and then I **_knew_**. I mean, I even intended to look into your past to see what you’ve been up to, but that voice of yours has rendered all that moot, hasn’t it?

Ugh. For heaven’s sake, Riley! What have you been doing to your life? I was only away for five years! For five freaking years! Then I return to find you in this hopeless, zombie state? Are you _joking_? And the fact that I have to come back in this fashion, which is  pathetic by the way! You know, given the nature of how we met I had high expectations of our reunion. I am not even jesting when I say that I spent a _considerable_ amount of time readying myself for when you finally end up at my door. You were never the modest kind when you were younger, with an ego up to your neck! I expected—no, not even that. _I knew._ Just knew that you’ll stand at my door, **_lord_** the fact that you cheated me over my head, and boast about how you took advantage of everything Life had to offer you!

With the extra decades of life you so rudely stole from me!

But _no_! You—

Hang on.

You’re frowning. Your eyebrows are doing that thing where they get crinkly in the middle. Oh, you’re confused. But why—ah. Wow. I can’t believe this. You don’t know who I am, do you?

Yes, you’re shaking your head a little. That’s confirmation. Riley! It wounds me that you forgot about me! Don’t you remember? I kept you company while you were recovering from surgery! We had a _fantastic_ time. I listened to your mumbled incoherencies with little interest—sorry, you were literally speaking gibberish there was only so much enjoyment any being could take from that. On the other hand, your dreams—when you were not too drugged up—and your subconscious were an **_absolute_** delight. Such creativity! What command in colour! Frankly, I didn’t expect that, heh, from someone who worked as an accountant for ten years. But I was pleasantly surprised—

Oi! Take your finger off that delete button right now! Contrary to what you’re thinking, I am _not_ some mad stranger ranting—well, I suppose I am given that we’ve only met once, but you  know me! You’ve heard this _lovely_ , radio voice before. When you were in a lot of pain in the hospital, I told you stories to soothe you. Don’t you remember?  I told you about the beginning and end of time—how I came to be and how I, along with the other Ancients, keep everything working. I told you the destined creation of the cosmos and its inevitable destruction! I took your pain away; you lulled in and out of consciousness because of what I—

Oh. That was the morphine.

Anyway. You spent weeks in the ICU. You were not getting any better. We were at the point of no return, Riley. I **_felt_** it, how you were on the brink. Then for… one moment you became aware. You opened your eyes and you saw me. You resembled a babe looking at its mother for the first time… only instead of cooing, smiling, or whatever it is that babies do, you _flipped your shit._ I apologise again for that, by the way. Sometimes I forget that the empty sockets, lipless and all-teeth grin scares humans half to death. In my defence, I usually spend my time with the departed who don’t mind my face so much. But I made up for that, didn’t I? I put you to sleep and put on the face of someone you liked. The next time you came to all you saw was your favourite celebrity. Gave you pleasant memories for the rest of your time in the hospital, didn’t I? Of course, when you told your family about this “strange” experience they all chalked it up to the morphine. But it _was_ real. To a point.

You’re welcome, by the way!

Ah, those _wide_ eyes. You remember now? _Good._ Good—hang on, you look frightened. You’re looking around your home as though you’re expecting me to jump out and take you— no! No, I’m not calling to take your soul. I’m not going to go all _Final Destination_ on you—which is a **_ridiculous_** film, by the way. I am not so **_petty_** as to reclaim the lives of those who cheated me. As evidenced by you. Five years and counting, isn’t it? But I digress. You are **not** going through any more accidents. Ever. Not even a freak one.  Heh. Admittedly, I was certain that you were a goner in that recovery room. You saw my face, that is the only sign. Alas, for some inexplicable reason Life gave you a chance to recover. Shame on me—well, shame on Life, really. But erm, no harm no foul, yes? You’ll come to me one day, no worries. They all do.

 _You have one minute left to record_.

What? But I’ve only been speaking for five minutes! God damn it. Hang on—hang on.

_Clack! Beepbeepbeep. Brrrrriiiiing. Brrrrriiiiing. Brrrrriiiiing._

_H-hello! U-uhm, you’ve reached Riley. If you could just, er, l-leave a message and your details I’ll, uhm, get b-back to you as soon as I can. Thank—beep!_

I’m back! I’m back. Stupid voicemail.

What was I saying?

**_Oh, right._** Right. The purpose of this call.

I am not coming to collect; that is not the purpose of this call. Well… okay, I suppose in a way it is.  The moment your name left my books I left you alone to enjoy your new lease on life. I expected you to. That is how it usually goes, isn’t it? People brush with me and they act like they’ve been blind all this time. Suddenly they get this _profound epiphany_ —suddenly they realise this all too obvious notion of how **_important it is to be alive_**. They move on, but not as before. They start doing whatever makes them truly happy. Love whoever or whatever they want, blazing on through as though I lit a fire under their arses. That’s what they do. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? With you humans. You either destroy yourselves or your allow yourselves to settle in this stagnant routine. It’s not until you look me in the sockets that you realise there’s **_more_** to life than just being alive.

Not you, though.

Oh, you. Heh. You, my dear, are the outlier. You saw me. Looked right into me, but there was no sense of enlightenment with you. I inspired nothing in you other than fear. You feared everything and yourself. You feared for your life. You became a hermit. You actively avoided anything that can kill you. You distanced yourself from people, hoping that doing so will protect them from you and vice versa. The accident changed you— _seeing me_ changed you. Before you used to live your life without even giving me a single thought.

But now, I’m all you think about.

Now, I practically live in your mind. Lurking in the corners. Hiding behind every dark thought you have. You may have forgotten about me, but I’ve already captured your heart and I filled it with anxiety. You’ve developed habits. You… check your door ten times to make sure it is locked. You turn off all your electricity to avoid fires. You keep to yourself… avoiding dodgy individuals—avoiding humans in general. You eat all the healthy food and do all the yoga in the world to stall the inevitable. I am flattered, Riley, truly. To be the centre of your attention is an _honour_ , but you’re making my job harder for me.

You’re horrified. Your finger’s poised over the button again. You don’t want to hear any more, do you? Of course you don’t. Reality is the one thing no person wants to hear about. You can certainly _try_ to stop me. I **_dare_** you to, actually. Go on, try deleting the message. Ah… see? Nothing’s happening. Oh, you’ve unplugged the device and _yet_ , I’m still talking. I told you. I’ve rigged your voicemail machine, you see. Just for a bit. No matter what you do, I’m going to continue talking and I’m not going to stop until I’ve had my say.

**So just listen.**

The thing is—

 _You have one minute left to record_.

Again? But that's not even five minutes! **Mother of Mercy!** You need to change this whole damned situation, Riley! **_For Christ’s sake._** I give up. I give the hell up. I’m done with this phone nonsense. Hang on, I’ll find something better. I am not done with you, Riley! I am not done!

_Beepbeepbeep. Clack!_

**Riley,**

**I’m writing you instead. Good thing you’re the type who listens to voicemails first before reading letters. If you weren’t then it would have been awkward.**

**Read this carefully, Riley, because I’ve rambled on for too long—as I wont to do—and now I’m just wasting your time.**

**The thing is that the world you live in is a naturally dangerous place. I am not jesting when I say that danger lurks in every corner and, unfortunately, most of them are hidden. Everything—even the smallest details, can lead you straight to me. The five bottles of Corona you’re drinking every night, for certain. You also have a Funnel Web that’s taken residence in your flowerbed by the front door—do take care of that, by the way. The water bottles you drink from contain chemicals that poison you. Even the beautiful sun pollutes the cells under your skin every time you step out of your home. The salads you consume have pesticides that can cause cancer. And cancer is the rage this past decade; apparently everything causes cancer—if you are willing to believe the new studies that come out every week.**

**You are positively frightened. Look, I am sorry. Truly, I am. My intention is not to scare you more. I just want to say that you can try your hardest, but you’re not really safe from anything. You can do your best to hide from me, but I will still find you.**

**Think of it this way: every year I take fifty-six million humans. That’s a hundred fifty-five thousand souls per day. You were part of that number five years ago and believe me when I say that out of that one hundred fifty-five thousand, only you came out to live another day. From what your news shows tell you, you think escaping me happens all the time. It doesn’t. Most of the time people who see me have no second chances. But you did. You might have stolen years from me, but at the same time they have been granted to you. One hundred fifty-five thousand, Riley. That’s a whole city. Out of a whole city of people that died in one day, you’re the only one who survived. If that’s not a calling to do something incredible with your life, then I’m not sure what is. You humans believe in second chances and miracles for a reason, right? This is one of them.**

**You have to live, Riley. Coming from me it’s ridiculous, I know. But you have to. You must do more than just be alive. This is why I took all this trouble. You can go as you are—continue to avoid danger and that, extend your time in your earth. But isn’t it exhausting to do that every single day? Worrying can also kill you. Wouldn’t you rather die with all these rich experiences and stories inside of you rather than just fear? This particular world was made just for you, my dear. It exists for your happiness. Yes, it has its dangers, but its overwhelming beauty more than makes up for it. See some of that beauty, Riley, bask in its borrowed time—I assure you that I will be the last thing in your mind. Just like before.**

**Live, Riley.**

**Ultimately, no matter what, we will see each other again.**

**Until then. Live.**

**With all my affection,**

**Grim**


End file.
